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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23362009">In Trouble, Brig Time</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonseekers/pseuds/crimsonseekers'>crimsonseekers</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prescription [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Transformers Generation One</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, give the command staff a raise, none of them are paid enough to deal with this, referenced sticky</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-03-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 11:13:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,906</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23362009</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/crimsonseekers/pseuds/crimsonseekers</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Two times Prowl and Huffer were on opposite sides of the cell bars, and one time they were not.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Huffer/Prowl</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Prescription [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1678048</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>49</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>In Trouble, Brig Time</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/fascinationex/gifts">fascinationex</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This one is for the wonderful author, fascinationex (@fascination_ex on twitter), who wanted "*bangs table* PUFFER in the BRIG" AND PUFFER IN THE BRIG THEY GET</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Prowl tilted his head up as his comm pinged, his attention taken from the datapads that littered his desks. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Prowl. Is there a situation? ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>:: Yeah, ::</span>
  </em>
  <span> Ironhide responded gruffly. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Gotta couple of comedians who think it’s funny to start a brawl in the rec room during peak hours. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl sighed, twirling his stylus uselessly between his fingers as he leaned back into his chair. At least the Decepticons were not planning or attacking anything, but </span>
  <em>
    <span>still,</span>
  </em>
  <span> one would have thought that the mecha who made up the Autobot army would have learned to not act like a bunch of hooligans by that point. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Put them in the brig, I will be down shortly to discipline them myself. Designations? ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>:: Already got ‘em here. It’s Sideswipe and Huffer. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl paused for a brief moment as he pushed himself away from his desk. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Huffer is not usually involved in physical altercations. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ironhide barked a laugh over the comm line, and Prowl allowed the smallest of frowns to cross his face as he exited his office, striding with a clipped pace towards the holding cells. Ironhide should attempt to take in fighting more seriously, but considering his personality, Prowl supposed it was unavoidable </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Sideswipe managed to find a button of his to push, and it escalated from there. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>:: Is this something I will need to address him about? Our medical supplies are stretched thin enough without him starting unnecessary fights every other day. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ironhide chuckled, and Prowl truly did not understand what humor there was to be found in the situation - bartering with humans for subpar parts and negotiating space bridge uses with the Decepticons was hard enough - but, he mused, that was perhaps why Ironhide was the Chief Weapons Officer and not Second in Command.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>:: Nah, ::</span>
  </em>
  <span> the gruff mech said, dismissing him easily. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: Not really sure it’s something you’d get, or that you would be any help in fixing if you did. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was disconcerting, having Ironhide leave him out of the loop of a disciplinary issue as such, but not quite unheard of. It was rare, but other officers had left him out on certain issues previously, primarily those pertaining to ‘matters of the spark.’</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Still, Prowl almost not-quite frowned as he came upon the entrance to the brig. </span>
  <em>
    <span>:: I was unaware that Huffer had any personal issues that would give him cause for conflict. ::</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl was not quite sure whether or not he should have been concerned by the sudden fit of laughter that overcame Ironhide as he entered the brig.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is there a need for me to schedule a mandatory appointment with Ratchet if you find it so difficult to conduct yourself properly as an officer?” Prowl asked, cutting the comm line. “Perhaps have him check for processor damage.” An ultimately useless threat as Prowl had, unfortunately, learned through millennia of working with Ironhide - the mech did not seem to believe in codes of conduct or professionalism in any capacity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah, mech,” the weapons officer responded. “The situation’s just </span>
  <em>
    <span>real</span>
  </em>
  <span> funny.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl flicked a doorwing dismissively at Ironhide and instead turned his attention to the two trouble makers held in different cells. Sideswipe was no new addition to the brig by that point, regularly visiting enough that Prowl almost considered his presence part of the atmosphere. What was different, however, was the intensity with which Sideswipe was staring at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sideswipe,” he said, snapping the front liner out of whatever reverie had been distracting him. “Is there a problem?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” Sideswipe said, a cocky grin crossing his lips as he continued to study Prowl, but with less intensity than before. “Just trying to figure out what’s up with Huffer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I am confident you are capable of thinking without staring at me,” Prowl responded blandly. “Ironhide informs me that while Huffer started the physical fight, you had decided to aggravate him into doing so. Therefore, you will be cleaning and repairing the rec room underneath Ironhide’s watch, effective immediately,” he decided, holding his hand to cell lock, which disengaged upon recognizing his spark signature.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw,” Sideswipe bemoaned dramatically as he exited the cell. “Not even gonna ask me for my side of the story? What kind of justice is this?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you trying to tell me you did not start the fight?” Prowl asked him skeptically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah,” Sideswipe shrugged. “Just thought I’d make sure your processor doesn’t get too big.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sideswipe, if the meaning of the words ‘effective immediately’ are lost on you, then I will happily arrange supplemental processor upgrades with Ratchet to fix the problem. If they are not lost on you, then I suggest you start heading to the rec room, lest I get the wrong impression.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Sideswipe held up his hands and smiled, but quickly made an escape from the brig, Ironhide following closely behind, chuckling away.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl sighed, a gentle waft of air from his vents that brushed his doorwings. Ruffling his sensory panels back into a more dignified position, he turned to face the second holding cell, only to find Huffer staring at him with an odd, almost strained set to his face. There was an odd hum emanating from him that took Prowl a moment to recognize as cooling fans on a low setting.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huffer,” he began in a slightly more relaxed tone than he took with Sideswipe, not that he was sure anyone would be able to tell. “If you were having a dispute with Sideswipe, you should have gone to a senior officer to have them intervene, not resort to physical violence. Is that clear?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffer grunted, but Prowl supposed it was as close to a verbal answer as he would get from him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come on,” Prowl said, keying open the cell. “I am taking you to Ratchet, then you are cleaning out the armory.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Why Ratchet?” Huffer asked as he followed Prowl out of the brig. “So you can forcibly upgrade my processor to be less troublesome?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I do not condone non-consensual processor edits. It is simply a systems check - your fans are running far too high considering how little exertion your frame is under.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl, for the life of him, could not figure out why Huffer’s vents made such concerning rattled and choked noises at the suggestion. Even more reason to take Huffer to Ratchet, he supposed.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“So,” Sideswipe drawled, flicking his optics over to stare at Huffer innocently. “Prowl, huh?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffer grunted noncommittally, scowling at the wall in front of him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If I were trying to be comforting,” the front liner began offhandedly, “I would say you could do better, but you can’t. What I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> say is that Prowl could do better.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And yet again, you remind of the crushing fact that I am fundamentally unlovable and will die alone, as even the mere concept of me in a romantic relationship is disgusting,” Huffer bemoaned, letting his head fall back dramatically. “Existence is meaningless and painful, Sideswipe.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a split second pause after Huffer spoke, Sideswipe supposedly processing his statement. One could take a moment to appreciate the peace and quiet of the brig, assuming they were able to ignore the </span>
  <em>
    <span>plip plip</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a dripping pipe that was damaged in the Ark’s crash which had yet to be repaired. But Huffer was not the type of ‘bot to ignore such a thing, so he brooded instead.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, shit,” Sideswipe said blankly after a moment. “Now you’ve made me feel bad.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I feel so comforted,” Huffer growled out sarcastically.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aren’t the pity frags enough?” the red ‘bot said, clearly not quite willing to give up the conversation. “I don’t really see the appeal of Prowl, but enough of the boltheads on board seem like they would be happy enough just to even have him look at them twice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think about the ‘pity frag’ portion of that for a moment, and then we can resume our conversation about how pathetic and hopeless my time here in this universe is.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Sideswipe said slowly. “Yeah, that is kinda depressing, isn’t it? You get to third base, but second and first are effectively non-existent.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well-” Huffer began, ready to snark back at Sideswipe when he was interrupted by Ironhide re-entering the brig.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Prowl will be down in a klik,” he said gruffly. There was a tense silence in the brig for a moment before Ironhide vented, and looked sharply at both of them. “You’re both lucky I’m still not cluing in Prowl on what you two have been fighting about, so I suggest you </span>
  <em>
    <span>stop</span>
  </em>
  <span> before I’m forced to.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He glared at Sideswipe. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“You</span>
  </em>
  <span> stop harassing Huffer. Go kick Cliffjumper around or something, at least that I don’t have to talk around with Prowl.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His harsh glare turned to Huffer once Sideswipe nodded meekly. “You either need to tighten your bolts and kiss Prowl senseless or stop causing problems for the rest of us. Pick one or I tell Prowl for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Tell me what, Ironhide?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffer could die right then. He was fine, not like he would have any dignity left to live for after this interaction.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Nothing of much importance right now.” Oh, thank Primus. “These troublemakers’ve been fighting again. I leave them to you,” he said, striding out of the brig, but not before casting one last warning glare at Sideswipe and Huffer over his shoulder as he left.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl flicked a doorwing at Ironhide, but his attention quickly zeroed in on Huffer. “Sideswipe, I expect this out of, but I believe we should both hope that this does not become a pattern of behavior for you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Huffer disregarded his last thought. The floor could swallow him, and the amused twinkle in Sideswipe’s optics did not make him feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>any</span>
  </em>
  <span> better.</span>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <span>“I do not believe your suggested treatment for Huffer’s attitude has been working as intended,” Prowl told Ratchet, having scheduled a meeting with the CMO to discuss the topic. “On the contrary, I believe it has made his temperament worse. He has been involved in physical altercations with his fellow Autobots more in the past week than he has for his previous millennia of service.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ratchet stared at Prowl for a long moment, with an odd look that the tactician could not quite work out. Then, he sighed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I think,” the medic started slowly, “the problem here is that it’s working </span>
  <em>
    <span>too</span>
  </em>
  <span> well.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl took a moment to consider Ratchet’s suggestion and frowned in response. “I do not understand how you have concluded that to be the case.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well,” Ratchet said. “He’s certainly doing something </span>
  <em>
    <span>other</span>
  </em>
  <span> than complaining for once, thanks to you. Now the actual problem we’re facing here is whether or not you’re able to notice.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If his behavior is due to something I have done, then I believe it would be significantly more productive for you to simply inform me of it so that I can make amends and we can return to normal.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh boy,” Ratchet sighed. “You’re absolutely clueless.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl twitched at the insult but refrained from responding as Ratchet continued.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just continue what you’re already doing and it’ll work itself out,” the CMO informed him with a  tone of finality. “If it doesn’t, I’ll deal with it.”</span>
  <span>
    <br/>
  </span>
  <span>“Unfortunately, I have been forced to suspend Huffer’s treatment until he is released from the brig.” Both of the twins had been involved in the most recent altercation, and Ironhide and Prowl had determined that having them on the same punishment detail was just asking for another fight to break out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ratchet snorted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So? It’s just the brig. Inconsistent treatment can lead to relapses,” he said, and Prowl would have sworn that there was the tiniest of smug smirks on the medic’s face.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That is…” Prowl paused, trying to think of </span>
  <em>
    <span>exactly</span>
  </em>
  <span> what it was. What Ratchet was asking him to do. Ratchet was asking him to interface with Huffer in the brig. Prowl had to fight the embarrassed heat that threatened to flush his face as he responded. “The brig is meant to be a public space, and to </span>
  <em>
    <span>interface</span>
  </em>
  <span> there-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s fine, Prowl,” Ratchet said dismissively. “Nobody visits the brig this late, and they barely do so, to begin with. And it’s not as if everybody doesn’t know you’re,” Ratchet pinched his lips oddly, </span>
  <em>
    <span>“treating</span>
  </em>
  <span> Huffer. If anybody gives you trouble, send them to me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” Prowl clicked his vocalizer primly, ruffled his doorwings and stood up, ready to exit the CMO’s office. “Yes, of course,” he said stiltedly. “I will go to address the problem.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ratchet cycled his optics and leaned back in his chair as Prowl turned stiffly on his heel to exit the office. “Yeah,” he drawled. “You do that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl would not exactly state that he </span>
  <em>
    <span>ran</span>
  </em>
  <span> from the situation, but he certainly left the medbay as swiftly as was socially acceptable.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His processor churned as his pedes took him to the brig, a path he walked often enough for it to require little thought, but to go to the brig for such a reason?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl twitched as the entrance to the brig came into view far too quickly for his liking.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Primus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a moment to simply stand outside the brig, before slowly stepping forward, allowing the door to open automatically as he entered. He spared a glance at the lock pad, before firmly reminding himself that it was against protocol to engage the brig locks unless there was an escape risk. Huffer, Prowl was unable to reason in any fashion, was not an escape risk.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was a few short paces to Huffer’s cell, who, leaning against a wall near the bars, had turned his head to look at Prowl, clearly having heard the slide of the brig door opening.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Neither of them said anything as Prowl let himself into the cell, and settled himself upon the berth adjoining the wall.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a pause, both of them staring at each other but not saying anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a moment, Prowl broke the silence. “Ratchet,” he said slowly, “has informed me that we are to continue your treatments through your time in the brig.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-” Huffer made an odd choking noise, and cycled his optics at Prowl, even as he slowly stood up from his post by the bars. </span>
  <em>
    <span>“In here?”</span>
  </em>
  <span> he squeaked, and Prowl found it quite reassuring that he was not the only one who found the idea odd - but, Ratchet’s wrath was not one he would incur upon himself if he could avoid it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ratchet was quite insistent upon the matter,” Prowl said, barely keeping his voice above an insolent mutter. After a moment passed, wherein Huffer just seemed to stare at him in disbelief, Prowl ruffled his doorwings and allowed his legs to part slightly - just enough to be an invitation. “I would prefer we do this quickly.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His words seemed to snap Huffer out of his reverie, and he slowly made his way across the cell to where Prowl sat on the berth - and the cells were not large, so it took nowhere near as long as Prowl would have liked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The SIC allowed his gaze to flick nervously to the entrance of the brig but scooted himself to sit further back on the berth until his sensory panels pressed against the wall. After some nudging, he let Huffer spread his legs further apart, allowing the minibot to kneel on the berth between his thighs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl jerked at the first brush against a transformation seam along his waist, tensing and staring at the brig entrance. Someone would enter, he just knew it. Any moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>At Huffer’s concerned look, he forced himself to ignore the doorway to the rest of the Ark, allowing his tacnet to spit numbers at him of how likely it was that someone would be visiting the brig at such an hour. The numbers were extremely low </span>
  <em>
    <span>(they were not zero),</span>
  </em>
  <span> and he clutched to those unlikely chances as Huffer slipped his fingers into his transformation seams. The minibot tugged and pinched his wires, sending dull pangs of pleasure through Prowl’s neural net.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After a few moments, he allowed himself to relax into the touches, twitching towards Huffer as his hands drifted lower on Prowl’s body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A pleased noise escaped his vocalizer as Huffer slowly began to rub his fingers over Prowl’s valve cover, which was quickly heating under the minibot’s ministrations. A soft </span>
  <em>
    <span>click</span>
  </em>
  <span> signaled the low whine of Prowl’s cooling fans coming online. A few more touches, he thought at Huffer brought his other hand up to pinch and tweak the edges of his doorwings, setting his sensor net alight. Just a few more and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Huffer,” a deep and </span>
  <em>
    <span>too familiar</span>
  </em>
  <span> voice rumbled. “Ironhide has informed me-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The voice paused exactly as Prowl and Huffer paused, whipping their heads around to stare guiltily at Optimus Prime.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Optimus had caught them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Primus.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything suddenly became white noise as Prowl’s processor diverted any charge he had built up into racing thoughts and simulations.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Optimus Prime had caught Prowl, his Second in Command, attempting to interface with someone in the brig, a public space.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl felt his fuel pump racing alongside his thoughts. This was the most humiliating thing he had ever done, he would be brought up on indecency charges, shamed, none of his subordinates would </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever respect him again and-</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>[WARNING: EMOTIONAL CORTEX OVERHEATING]</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl whimpered as the pain in his processor built and his vision fritzed and he heard something pop and he could smell smoke and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>[ENABLING EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN]</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Prowl crashed.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>this was... so fun to write... it admittedly took a while, but it's mainly because I kept having conflicting cursed ideas for this.</p>
<p>this was originally going to end on a weird decepticon brig escapade but that was getting t o o long so it was unfortunately shelved for a later time :(</p>
<p>But anyway!!! I hope this was enjoyable!!!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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